A one-of-a-kind new mobile application, PASHA, has been launched in Kehancha, Kuria West, Migori County in a bid to stem the high rates of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the region.
The PASHA App will help in reporting and tracking cases of FGM in the County. It will also help in sharing information with relevant government agencies, including the Kenya Anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Board and other authorities.
How does it work?
Through the PASHA App, a person can send or share emergency alerts either in text or voice recording. The App can pick the person’s location, and it also gives one the option of remaining anonymous.
Once shared, the information is then received by authorities who will respond promptly and accordingly –depending on the alert received. The mobile application is free to those who will use it. It can be downloaded from Google Play Store.
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The PASHA App will complement existing mechanisms of reporting cases of abuse against children, such as the free Child Helpline number 116 and the National Gender Violence Helpline number 1195.
Kenya’s committment to end FGM by 2022
The launch is timely, coming just before the November-December school holiday, a season when cases of FGM hits the peak in Kuria. Government data shows Kuria community has one of the highest rates of prevalence of FGM in Kenya; affecting 84 per cent of women.
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In June 2019, Kenya committed to ending FGM by end 2022. The enactment of the Prohibition of FGM Act, 2011 was also a key milestone in the campaign to end FGM in the country. However, despite the legislative and policy measures put in place to end the practice, FGM remains prevalent in certain communities.
The PASHA mobile Application has been developed by the Kenya Anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Board in partnership with UNICEF Kenya.
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